Book questions popular beliefs

San Diego journalist Guy P. Harrison’s new book, “50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True,” is a skeptical look at angels, psychics, UFOs, TV preachers and the like.

Harrison will discuss his book Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. during the monthly meeting of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego at the North Park Recreation Center, 4044 Idaho St. He answered questions by email.

Why did you write this book?

Because I care about people. I can’t ignore the fact that many millions in America and around the world waste so much time and money on irrational beliefs and unproven claims. People who are not good skeptics are more easily manipulated and exploited by businesses and politicians. They can also squander their health and even die prematurely. In my view, skepticism is a moral issue.

Bad thinking not only harms individuals, it also slows social progress for everyone. It’s a massive problem that the world has yet to address in a meaningful way. My book doesn’t just address key problems with specific questionable claims such as UFOs, psychics, astrology, alternative medicine, and so on. I also show how normal functions of the human brain routinely lead us to misinterpret reality and fall for bad ideas. As humans, we are all vulnerable so everyone needs to work at being a good skeptic. “50 Popular Beliefs That People Think are True” can be used like a guidebook to lead anyone toward that goal.

How did you decide which popular beliefs to include in the book?

I wanted to reach as many people as possible so I focused on the beliefs that snare the most minds today. I don’t simply debunk claims and leave it at that, however. I show reasons for doubt but also explain how we have to be on guard against being tricked by our own brains. I also show that giving up an irrational belief doesn’t mean one has to give up interest in a particular subject. For example, if you are intrigued by aliens and UFOs, I recommend exploring astrobiology and SETI. If ESP appeals to you, why not check out neuroscience and learn about the amazing things going on in labs right now? I don’t preach or tell people what they must believe. My goal is to inspire people to think for themselves and give reality a chance. Positive feedback for the book has been overwhelming so I guess it worked.

Which do you think are the most dangerous, and why?

Whatever good may have come from it, religious beliefs certainly have taken a huge toll on humanity. Given the large numbers of religions and gods over the last several thousand years, it’s clear that all religions can’t be true and all gods can’t be real because there are so many contradictions. So obviously a lot of time and energy has been wasted and a lot of destruction has occurred for nothing.

Some say that religions are off limits to skeptical challenge. I disagree. Anything that is unusual, important, and potentially dangerous demands our scrutiny. Religious belief certainly qualifies. Alternative medicine, unproven medicine, medical quackery — whatever you want to call it — is also a big problem. Not only does it drain billions of dollars from people, it also kills.

Believing in something like ghosts may seem harmless but it’s not. It’s a symptom of sloppy thinking and weak skepticism. Anyone who can’t recognize that withholding belief in ghosts is appropriate due to the absence of good evidence is probably going to be highly vulnerable to falling for other claims, ones that may prove to be very dangerous. My book gives practical advice for thinking one’s way through specific claims but I also show readers how they can become world-class skeptics for life, capable of fending off virtually any craziness that comes along.

You write in the introduction that being a skeptic “is the only way I can imagine living my life.” How did you become a skeptic?

Somewhere along the way early in my life I found the courage to think for myself and made the decision not to believe weird things just because everyone else around me did. It was the best move I could have ever made because my life has been far better for it. While others are giving their money to mediums or worrying about the 2012 Maya doomsday, I’m spending my time doing more sensible things like having fun with my kids, romancing my wife, and reading science books.

Have there been times when you failed to be skeptical about something in your own life?

When I was young I was reeled in hook-line-and-sinker by the claim that aliens visited the Earth thousands of years ago and did things like build pyramids and draw pictures on the ground in Peru because we were too dumb to do it ourselves. I was only around ten years old so I can forgive myself for that stumble. There is a chapter about ancient alien visitors in my book so I suppose I can say I got my revenge. Unfortunately, this belief hasn’t died yet, thanks primarily to a new wave of pseudo-documentaries shown on cable TV in recent years.

You also write that some people wrongly think of skeptics as “cynical, negative people with closed minds.” How has the public’s opinion of skeptics changed over time, and what changed it?

This inaccurate description of skeptics as negative people usually is promoted by people who feel threatened by science and reason. The truth is that skepticism is positive and constructive. The scientific process seeks to separate sense from nonsense. Why can’t everyone see that as a good thing?

Science and skepticism are the means by which we are able to step over garbage and dodge lies in order to get to the good stuff, the real stuff. Good skeptics are open-minded and always eager to learn more. We want to go wherever the evidence leads. We want to know as much as we can about everything while keeping our feet planted firmly in reality.

I would love for Bigfoot to be real, for example. It would be a great discovery. But until somebody finds a body or proves it some other way, I’m not willing to be so dishonest in my thinking that I can pretend to know they exist. In my book I offer many examples of how science and reality are far more exciting, useful, entertaining, and reliable than unproven claims and irrational beliefs.

Why do you think skepticism is a good thing?

Skepticism is personal protection. Everyone should want it. It’s like a force field that surrounds your brain. If you have a strong force field, and keep it on consistently, you are less likely to become a victim of the con artists and nutty ideas that are out there. If your force field is weak or if you turn it off sometimes, you might end up in trouble.

Does the Internet make it easier for us to debunk popular beliefs or harder?

The World Wide Web is a source of both invaluable knowledge and dangerous stupidity. The web is a deep well of riches for those who are good at identifying bad information and flawed conclusions. For those who aren’t so good, however, it’s more like a minefield with danger at every step. I think the Web is a big problem for young people. Very few kids know how to think critically about extraordinary claims so they can be easily impressed by a slick website about ghosts, numerology, or the latest end-of-the-world prediction. When young people are quick to accept hollow claims it shows that they were failed by their families, their schools, and their society. We are big on teaching kids what to think, but teaching them how to think is equally important, if not more important.